Assignment Desk

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How does a TV newsroom decide what leads the show? At the Assignment Desk, we take you behind the scenes for a closer look at the day’s top stories and how our team is covering them. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, our assignment editors share the careful decisions and considerations that shape fair and balanced coverage of Taiwan for a global audience. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

  1. 6D AGO

    A Divisive Verdict and a Return to Nuclear?

    Assignment editor Laurel Stewart walks us through the top stories of the week in Taiwan, including the 17-year prison sentence handed down to Taiwan People’s Party founder and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je for corruption and embezzlement, the response to which has underscored the polarized nature of Taiwan’s politics. And with Taiwan’s surging demand for electricity to power its tech industry, coupled with uncertainty over energy supplies from the Middle East, the government is signaling its openness to a return to nuclear power less than a year after Taiwan’s last working reactor was decommissioned. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

    17 min

  2. MAR 20

    Jensen Huang Backs Taiwan and 2027 Invasion Fears May Be Off

    In this week’s Assignment Desk, Jeremy Olivier talks us through the takeaways for Taiwan from Nvidia’s annual AI conference in California. Plus, a new US intelligence report concludes China does not plan to invade Taiwan in 2027, as has been feared in some quarters. And an Australian woman who was trafficked from Taiwan as an infant is back in the land of her birth fighting for her right to citizenship. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

    16 min

  3. MAR 13

    Another Day, Another US Tariff Threat

    Taiwan thought it had negotiated a solution to US tariffs in the form of its trade deal with Washington. But this week the country finds itself the target of a Section 301 investigation over alleged failure to prevent forced labor. The legislature manages to approve a stopgap measure to keep the purchase of US weapons systems moving along despite a wider deadlock over defense spending. And the escalating conflict over Iran with its resulting spike in oil prices sees Taiwan staring down the (US$100) barrel when it comes to securing the energy supply that powers the nation’s industries. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

    17 min

  4. MAR 6

    Covering the World Baseball Classic Without Footage

    How do you cover the World Baseball Classic when you don’t have the broadcast rights? Get creative. For this Assignment Desk, we talk with assignment editor Chia Chang, who walks us through how we sent one reporter to Japan to interview Taiwan’s players competing in the tournament and another to join fans at watch parties in Taiwan to capture the excitement on the ground. We also look at the fan tradition of “eating your rival’s luck,” including pizza inspired by Taiwan’s opponents in the tournament. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

    16 min

  5. FEB 13

    A Long-Awaited Trade Deal and an Ominous Sentencing

    Assignment editor Chia Chang talks us through the newsroom’s coverage of two of the week’s biggest stories: the signing of a long-awaited trade deal with the US and the 20-year prison sentence that a Hong Kong court handed to Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai for offenses under the territory’s national security law, a development Lai’s long-time business partner told TaiwanPlus should be seen as a “canary in the coal mine” for Taipei’s future dealings with Beijing. Watch an excerpt of TaiwanPlus’ exclusive interview with Jimmy Lai’s former aide Mark Simon -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

    19 min

  6. FEB 6

    First Lawmaker With PRC Citizenship Takes Office in Taiwan

    A newly seated lawmaker is putting Taiwan’s citizenship rules under the spotlight. On today’s Assignment Desk, we look at the first legislator known to still hold PRC citizenship — and the questions her case is raising about identity, legal status and political trust. Also: a new round of interaction between Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party at a cross-strait forum, and the latest Trump–Xi phone call — which included a mention of Taiwan. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

    16 min

  7. JAN 30

    Spring Drills and Fruitful Talks

    Chia Chang picks over the events of the week with Charlie Storrar, including TaiwanPlus News’s field coverage of the military’s spring drills, an opposition counterproposal on defense spending and talks with the US bearing fruit. Plus, Nvidia boss Jensen Huang is back in Taiwan in a week when the company’s dealings with China have been the subject of rumor and scrutiny. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

    19 min

  8. JAN 23

    High Pressure in Davos, Low Pressure in Taiwan

    Assignment editor Laurel Stewart joins Andrew and Charlie for a look back on the week’s events. Taiwan’s recently announced trade deal with the US and its prospects for ratification have taken center stage domestically, with the government pressing the agreement as a strategic tech partnership amid opposition concerns of a “hollowing out” of the country’s chip sector. Meanwhile, a week of drama as world leaders gathered in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum and Taiwan endures days of a wintry cold spell that has prompted concerns for vulnerable and elderly people. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

    21 min
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About

How does a TV newsroom decide what leads the show? At the Assignment Desk, we take you behind the scenes for a closer look at the day’s top stories and how our team is covering them. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, our assignment editors share the careful decisions and considerations that shape fair and balanced coverage of Taiwan for a global audience. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Information

  • Creator
    TaiwanPlus News
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © TaiwanPlus News
  • Show Website
    Assignment Desk